Dual control for marine craft



April 5, 1 955 Filed Aug. 6, 1954 O ID 0:: O N m 8 I N g 5 I (0 LL E w J. F. MORSE DUAL CONTROL FOR MARINE CRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

JGHN F. MORSE BY 7% /wm ATT O RNE'YS April 5, 1955 .1. F. MORSE DUAL CONTROL FOR MARINE CRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet I2 wk. hm kw Om Op \J INVENTOR. JOHN F. MORSE ATTORNEYS United States Patent DUAL CONTROL FOR MARINE CRAFT John F. Morse, Hudson, Ohio Application August 6, 1954, Serial No. 448,335

7 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) The present invention relates to improved control mechanism to be used primarily for the operation of the clutch of marine engines and, while it is shown and described as installed and operated on a power boat, the principles thereof may be applied to other uses than the control of marine engines.

In my copending application, Serial No. 231,781, filed lune 15, 1951, there is shown and described a control mechanism which may be used where two stations are provided on the boat from which the engine may be operated selectively. The use of such a dual control becomes necessary under certain conditions where it is desirable that one control is on the bridge and the second control is in the closed cabin. The invention to which the present application is directed is primarily intended for use in combination with a control mechanism such as that shown in the said copending application. While sufficient details of the mechanism shown in the prior application are incorporated in the present application to illustrate the operative combinations, reference is made to the said prior application for such further details as may be desirable or necessary to a complete understanding of the present invention.

It has been found, in the use of the control mechanism of said copending application in conjunction with a bridge control station and a cabin control station that either one of these controls could be left in either the ahead or astern position and the operator could unknowingly start the engines from the other station, causing the boat to move off. Therefore it is the object of the present invention, to provide improved means whereby the engine cannot be started unless the clutch controls at both stations are in neutral. It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel electric cut-out switch mechanism that will disconnect or de-energize the starting circuits from both controls, when either of the control levers to the engine clutch is out of neutral position.

It will be seen that in using a dual engine control installation, it is essential for safe operation to make it impossible for the engine to be started when the clutch is in reverse or forward position.

In the drawings and the description is shown a preferred embodiment for accomplishing the purposes of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is subject to modifications and variations within the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims. It is also understood that the invention is not limited to use on power boats.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the improved clutch operating unit in the neutral position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 1, showing the manner in which a cutout switch button is operated and the electric circuit therefor;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 2.

The control units As has been indicated above, the present invention is intended for use in conjunction with remote control units located on the bridge and in the cabin. These control units may be similar to those described in my copending application, Serial No. 231,781, or may be similar to 2,705,485 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 those described in my patent, No. 2,5 88,650, issued March 11, 1952. In any event, the dual control units must be capable of actuating flexible control cables 5a and 5b, which extend, one from the bridge control station and one from the cabin control station, to the vicinity of the clutch operating unit indicated generally at 10.

Further description of the control units is not considered to be necessary, inasmuch as the present application is intended to describe and claim only an improved clutch operating mechanism and its operation in the dual control system of the aforesaid copending application.

The improved clutch operating unit Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the clutch operating unit is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 11) and is located at a point adjacent to the engine. This unit 10 is housed and operated in a bracket composed of two oppositely turned plates 11 and 12 vertically set and spaced apart. Each plate is formed with a flange 13 along its lower edge by which the unit is fixed in its location on the boat. The two plates are held in spaced relation by a block 14 located in the upper corner of the plates and riveted to the plates at 15 and by spacer sleeves 16 held in place adjacent the flanges 13 by through rivets 17. Press-fitted into the block 14 is a stout rod 18, the outer end of which is received in a bore formed in a clamping plate 19 and held in position therein by bolts 20. On either side of the plate 19, extensions 21 of the two control cables 5a and 5b are firmly clamped by plate 22, held to the wings of plate 19 by the bolts 23. By this means, the termini of the cables 5a and 5b are held in their proper position with respect to the clutch operating unit.

The central portions of the plates 11 and 12 are cut out to form openings 25 and located above each of these openings is a long relatively narrow slot 26. Located at these slots and between the plates 11 and 12 is a double lever 27, at the center of which is a pivot pin 28 extending at either side thereof and riding in the two slots 26.

At each extremity of the rocker arm or lever 27 is pivotally attached by a pin 29 a clevis 30, in the closed free end of which is threaded a thirnble 31, which is held in the clevis by a lock nut 32. The thimble is afiixed to the ends of the cores 21' of control cable extensions 21. When the unit is assembled and the clutch in neutral plositiofin, the pin 28 is located at the midway point of the s ot 2 Over the pin 28 at the sides of the lever 27 are mounted links (shown by broken lines in Fig. 1), which extend toward the rear of the clutch operating unit where they are received and fastened over a pin 36, which passes through a control quadrant or sector plate 37, located between the ends of the links. on the pin 28 between the links and the inner surfaces of plates 11 and 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the control quadrant 37 is pivotally mounted on a bolt 39 in the lower rear corner of the unit, washers 40 being located at either side of the control quadrant, so as to guide it during its rocking movement. The outer rim of the control quadrant is provided with a series of holes 41 in any one of which may be secured a bolt 42 on one end of which is the ball formation 43 which forms a rocking mounting for a thimble 44, mounted on the end of a connecting rod 45. The bolt 42 may be secured in any one of the holes 41 by a lock nut 46, threaded on the end of the bolt. This arrangement permits the connecting rod 45 to be adjusted to the correct point for operation of the clutch.

Fastened to the control quadrant 37 by bolts 47 and 48, through the two outermost holes 41 and by lock nuts 49, is the clutch switch cam plate 50. The cam plate has on its outer rim a series of holes which align with holes 41 in the control quadrant. The cam plate also has a cam surface 51 which, when the clutch is in the neutral position, depresses button 52 on the adjacent end of control switch 53. The control switch is threaded into a control switch bracket 54, which is held against side plate 12 on bolt 39 by nut 55. The bracket has a shoulder 56 on the inner face thereof, which conforms to the end of plate 12 and locates the bracket and control switch accurately for alignment of button 52 with cam surface 51.

Washers 38 are located.

Referring to Fig. 5, in the lever 27 between the pin 28 and the upper pin 29, is a pin 60a which extends on either side of the lever and is free to move for a limited distance in the space above plates 11 and 12. Located in a like position below the pin 28 and extending into the space 25 at either side of the unit is a similar pin 60b. The pins are short enough so as to clear the plates 11 and 12.

Fastened to plates 11 and 12 by screws 64 is an escutcheon or stop plate 65. This stop plate has a centrally located horizontal slot 66 which corresponds to and is located in register with slot 26. On the top and bottom edges of each plate 65 are inturncd flanges 67 which overlie the adjacent edges of the side plates and project toward one another to a depth so that the flanges along the upper edges of the stop plates will lie in the path of the pin 60a. Similarly, the flanges along the lower edges of the stop plates will lie in the path of pin 60b. The purpose of the pins 60a and 60b and the flanges on the stop plates is to arrest the movement of lever 27 in the manner which will be set forth below in a description of the manner of operation.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the control switch 53 has thereon two contacts 70 to which are aflixed lead wires 71 and 72. The wire 71 is electrically connected to the starter solenoid 73. The other wire is electrically connected to a conventional starter switch 74 for the cabin control and a starter switch '75 for the bridge controls. The function of switch 53 is such that unless the cabin and bridge controls are in neutral position, causing the contact button 52 to be depressed by the cam surface 51, the starter solenoid will not actuate the engine starter. The switch 53 is a normally open switch which is closed when the cam surface 51 in its neutral position depresses the button 52, thus completing the starting circuit. Once the engine has started, the control quadrant may be moved by control cables a or 5b without stopping the engine because there is provided an ignition circuit (not shown) which is independent of the starter circuit shown in Fig. 3.

Operation The clutch, which is not shown, may be of any standard type with provisions for shifting from neutral to forward or reverse. The clutch is operated in a usual manner by the shaft 45, aflixed at one end to the thimble 44, and at the other end to a lever arm which is clamped to the shaft of the clutch (both of which are not shown).

The clutch control is shown in the neutral position in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivot pin 28 being at the central position in slot 52. The position of the pin 28 and the position of control quadrant 37 and cam plate 51 is determined by the remote actuation of control cable 50 from the bridge control station and cable 511 from the cabin control station.

The clutch operating unit can be moved from the neutral to the forward or reverse positions by remote actuation of control cable 5a from the bridge or cable 5b from the cabin. Assuming that it is desired to move the clutch to the forward position from the bridge control station, (referring to Fig. 1), extending cable 5a toward the clutch operating unit 10 would cause a thrust to the right to be exerted against the top of lever 27, which, through the links 35 connected to the control quadrant 37 would cause connecting rod 45 to move the clutch to the forward position and the boat would move off. During this movement, the lever arm 27 would pivot about the lower pin 29 which is relatively fixed in position through its connection to control cable 5b, which is connected to the cabin control station. At the same time, the pin 28 would move to the right hand end of the slot 26, causing the control quadrant 37, and the cam plate 50, to rock through the operation of the links 35.

During this operation, pin 60b will contact the lower flanges 67 of the stop plate at the end of the shifting movement. Now if some unauthorized person were to tamper with the'cabin control station, he could do no damage because the pin 60b prevents movement of the lever arm, links and control quadrant to other than the forward clutch position, if cable 5b should be moved. This arrangement also functions to prevent unauthorized shifting of the lever arm, links and control quadrant from the reverse to the neutral position, when either 4 cable 5a or 5b is first actuated to cause the clutch to move to the reverse position.

However, the method of operation of the clutch operating unit has heretofore not provided for the circumstance of the engine being started when the control at one station is in neutral but at the other station the clutch control is in forward or reverse. Assume that the pilot was controlling the boat from the bridge at the bridge control station and was thereby actuating the clutch operating unit by control cable 5a. The clutch control at the cabin operating unit would remain in the neutral position throughout the entire period of piloting from the bridge as it could not be effectively moved because of the locking arrangement previously described. The boat could be docked and the engine stopped by turning off the ignition without changing the position of the clutch control for the bridge. The boat might then be operated from the cabin control station where the clutch position was indicated to be in neutral, when in fact, it would be in the forward or reverse position as determined by the clutch control at the bridge control station from which the vessel was formerly being operated. The operator thinking that the clutch was in neutral, might start the engine and the boat could move off out of control.

Therefore, the control switch of the present invention prevents such an occurrence because only when the clutch control at both stations is in neutral will the cam plate 50 affixed to the control quadrant 37, contact and depress the button 52 on switch 53, thus permitting the engine to be started, by closing the starter circuit.

There has been shown and described one embodiment of an invention which will be extremely useful in the operation of dual control mechanisms for marine craft. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications of the present invention may be made and yet still be within the spirit and scope of the invention and therefore the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed is:

l. A control mechanism for operating the clutch of an engine having a starter comprising, a clutch operating unit, a rocking lever in said unit, clutch shifting means operated by said lever, a cable pivotally connected to one end of said lever, two manually operated control devices each connected to said lever, means to prevent the movement of said lever by one of the control devices after it has been moved by the other to shift the clutch out of neutral, and an electrical switch means connected in circuit with said engine starter and controlled by said lever, whereby the engine can be started only when said lever is in the neutral position.

2. A control mechanism for the engine of a power craft, said engine having a starter comprising, two control units, a clutch operating unit having a control lever, connections from each control unit to the clutch operating lever, a stop means in the clutch operating unit to prevent operation of the clutch operating unit by both control units simultaneously, and an electrical switch means connected in circuit with said engine starter and controlled by said clutch operating lever, whereby the engine in said craft can be started only when said clutch operating unit is in the neutral position.

3. A control mechanism for operating the clutch of an engine having a starter comprising, a clutch operating unit, a rocker lever in said clutch operating unit, a clutch operating shaft, connections from the lever to the clutch operating shaft, two manually operated control devices, a connection for rocking the lever extending from one end of the lever to one of said control devices, a second connection for rocking the lever extending from the other end of the lever to the other control device, a stop engaging the lever after it has been rocked by either of said control devices, and an electrical switch means connected in circuit with said engine starter and controlled by said lever whereby the engine can be started only when said clutch operating shaft is in the neutral position.

4. A control mechanism for operating the clutch of an engine having a starter comprising, a clutch operating unit, a rocking lever in said unit, a cable pivotally connected to each end of the lever, two manually operated control devices, one of said cables being connected to one of said control devices and the other cable being connected to the other control device, clutch shifting means operated by the movement of said lever by either control device, a stop engaging the lever after it has been rocked by either of said control devices to prevent movement of the lever by the other of said control devices to shift the clutch out of neutral, and an electrical switch means connected in circuit with said engine starter and controlled by said lever whereby the engine can be started only when said clutch shifting means is in the neutral position.

5. In a device for controlling the operation of a marine engine having a starter and consisting of two independently operable manual control devices, a clutch operating unit operable by either control device, mechanical means in each control device to shift the clutch out of neutral into forward or reverse, means for inhibiting the operation of one control device after the clutch operating unit has moved the clutch out of neutral, and means whereby the engine can be started only when the clutch is in the neutral position, said last named means including an electrical switch connected in circuit with said engine starter and controlled by said mechanical means, said switch being affixed to said clutch operating unit and a switch actuating plate movable with the mechanical means for shifting the clutch.

6. In a power craft control installation, said craft having an engine equipped with a starter and two control stations, each of said control stations having a manually operated control device and an electrical starter switch, a control mechanism for operating the clutch of said engine comprising a clutch operating unit, a rocking lever in said unit, clutch shifting means operated by said lever, cables pivotally connecting opposite ends of said lever to said manually operated control devices, means to prevent the movement of said lever by one of the control devices after it has been moved by the other to shift the clutch out of neutral, and electrical switch means connected in circuit with said starter and starter switches and controlled by said lever whereby the engine can be started only when said lever is in the neutral position.

7. In a device for controlling the operation of a ma rine engine having a starter and consisting of two in dependently operable manual control devices and two electrical starter switches, a clutch operating unit operable by either control device, mechanical means in each control device to shift the clutch out of neutral into forward or reverse, means for inhibiting the operation of one control device after the clutch operating unit has moved the clutch out of neutral, and electrical switch means connected in circuit with said starter and starter switches and controlled by said mechanical means whereby the engine can be started only when said clutch is in the neutral position.

No references cited. 

